According to past research and studies, nearly 80%

of all Americans will experience some type of back

pain in their lives. The American Academy of

Orthopedic Surgeons believes this as well, as they

say 80% of us out there will encounter some type of

problem with our back before we die.

Traditionally, the treatment for lower back pain is

increasing core strength to increase flexibility on

muscles that are tight, which will provide better

stabilization of the spine and exercises to correct

the imbalances of the muscles. The muscles that

surround the spine will provide stability and support

of the spinal column.

Every muscle between the hips and shoulders are

included as well, as these muscles are referred to

as the core muscles. Back pain can be a result of

muscle imbalances caused by any of these core

muscles. If the back of your thighs are weaker than

the front of your thighs, there will be an uneven

pull on the front of your spinal column.

There are some effective ways that you can integrate

core strength training exercises into all of the

exercises you perform, rather than doing just the

traditional crunches and sit-ups. One such way

is by breathing effectively. Deep breathing will

utilize your diaphragm muscles which will help

support the spinal column and lengthen the spine,

which is great for your lower back and supporting

you when you walk or run.

The tummy tuck and bridge lift can also help you

to reduce back pain and strengthen the core

muscles as well. The tummy tuck exercise is a

simple pelvic tilt that draws the abdominal muscles

away from the floor. Do perform a tummy tuck,

simply lie face down on the floor and squeeze

your glutes to strengthen your spine.

Instead of pressing into your thighs, you should

instead reach your tailbone down towards your

heels. Perform 15 reps of each exercise and

alternate them until you have completed a couple

of sets.

For the bridge, place your feet on a bench or

on the floor and scoop your pelvis upward, as your

rib cage should stay low to reduce any irritation

to your spinal muscles. The bridge will help to

relieve stress on your back and focus the muscle

contractions into the glutes and the hamstrings.

Other exercises for lower back pain are the lumbar

side stretch, hip flexor stretch, and calf

stretches, as all three can help to alleviate

pull on your spinal column.

Hip flexor stretch

When doing a hip flexor stretch, bring one foot

forward in a bent knee, 90 degree angle, while your

other leg is on the floor behind you with your

foot pointed upwards toward the ceiling. The

hip flexor stretch will help to open up the

muscles of your back on the side of the spine near

your hips. You can also squeeze your glutes as

well to deepen the stretch with each breath you

exhale. You should begin to feel a stretch in your

back leg, in the thigh front and the hamstrings

on your front leg.

Lumbar side stretch

This stretch will bring your legs wide with your

knees bent while you sit or stand. Simply bring

one hand down towards your foot on the inside of

the thighs and your other hand behind your head.

The last stretch will open up your Achilles tendon,

which is the most distant pull on the spine. For

this, place an object under your foot and lean the

weight of your body forwards. Maintain a fluid

breath while you hold stretches for 30 seconds or

so. After a while, you should begin to feel a

stretch behind your knee and shin.

Making the decision of where you will go to exercise

is a very important step in reaching your goals of

fitness. A lot of factors will go into this

decision, and each one should be evaluated well

before you start exercising. Once you have made

a decision on where you will go to exercise, you

can move on to deciding how you plan to work out.

As you probably know, exercising at home has many

advantages. The finance department is one of the

best advantages. With the gas prices being what

they are today, it is quite obvious that you’ll

save money on fuel as well as wear and tear on

your vehicle by choosing to exercise at home.

Memberships to a gym can often be quite expensive

and may include other things that you don’t need

such as child care or swimming pools. You also

won’t need to be concerned about the latest

trends of exercise gear as you most likely will

be exercising by yourself at home.

Keep in mind that working out at home does

require a bit of financial obligation. Even

though you may plan to run, it is very important

that you have high quality running shoes. This

statment applies to any type of equipment that

you may purchase to use at home. If you go

out and buy cheap equipment, you’ll probably

end up getting hurt or getting frustrated because

you aren’t making any progress.

Along with the financial gains, exercising at

home may also help those who don’t like to work

out in public. If you are worried about how you

look in gym clothes, it is very comforting to

know that the only person who has to be with you

when you exercise at home is you. Also, when

you exercise at home, you don’t need to worry

about time at all.

Those of you who are motivated by being with

people you know or come to know while working

out away from home, a gym may be a better idea

than working out at home. At the gym, you’ll

also more of a selection of equipment as well,

far more than you’ll have at home.

If you need other services than just weights and

equipment, the gym may have just what you need.

If you plan to swim a triathlon, you’ll find the

swimming pool at the gym to be just what you need

to prepare yourself. Swimming is also a great

exercise for your body and cardio, as it will work

muscles in your body that you probably didn’t

even know you had.

Gyms will also offer you classes that you may find

very motivating. If you attend class on a regular

basis, you may be motivated enough to continue

so you don’t have to defend yourself when asked

where you’ve been or what you have been doing.

You can also meet new people in class, or just

help others along if you choose.

All in all, making the choice of exercising at

home or at the gym is a choice you should make

based on your goals and personal preference. The

most important decision you’ll need to make is

to determine what type of environment you want

to be in and how you want to accomplish the

fitness goals in your life.

Once you have given it some thought and weighed

out the pros and cons, you’ll have no problem

making the choice. Always keep in mind that

once you’ve made your choice, you can always switch

if you aren’t happy with the choice you made.